Patriots react after "heartbreaking" last-second loss to Colts
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots were a defensive stop away from their fourth win of the season on Sunday. But the defense failed to make a game-saving play -- twice -- and the Patriots are now 3-10 on the season after a devastating last-second defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts.
It was death by 100 paper cuts for New England, with 19 of those cuts coming on Indy's final drive of the game. The Patriots were leading 24-17 when the Colts got the ball back with 5:34 remaining, but the New England defense couldn't make plays when it mattered the most. Anthony Richardson orchestrated a game-winning drive for the Colts that saw Indy convert three different fourth-down conversions and a two-point attempt to walk away with a 25-24 victory.
This loss will fester for the next two weeks, as the Patriots hit their bye week on another disappointing note. They won't play again until Dec. 15 when they pay a visit to the 6-6 Arizona Cardinals.
Patriots defense doesn't make stops in the end
The Patriots had several chances to stamp out the Colts comeback on their 19-play, game-winning drive. But they came up empty on three fourth-down situations, including Richardson's touchdown pass to Alec Pierce. Then the D couldn't keep Richardson from bowling his way into the end zone for the go-ahead two-point conversion.
"We just didn't make the stops that we need to. Look, that's the NFL. That's the NFL," head coach Jerod Mayo said after the loss. "We say it every week. It's that one play here, that one play there. That extended drive definitely hurt, and then those guys going for two and couldn't keep them out."
"It just wasn't good enough. We made plays, but they made more plays," said corner Christian Gonzalez, who came down with his second interception of the season midway through the fourth quarter. "We have to be able to hold it down for the offense when we get down there. With the game on our back, we have to be better."
Cornerback Alex Austin had a nice breakup on a Richardson pass to Pierce early in the drive, but was then flagged for a crushing pass interference on a third-down incompletion to Michael Pittman. That gave Indy the ball at the New England 20, and the Colts took the lead seven plays later.
"We just made too many mistakes," said veteran corner Jonathan Jones. "We wanted to leave here with a good feeling going into the bye week, and we just didn't do that."
The offense was guilty of not coming through too. Gonzalez's interception gave the Patriots the ball with eight minutes to go, but New England went three-and-out, leading to the team's only punt of the day.
Even just a first down on that drive could have changed the outcome of the game for New England.
Drake Maye calls the loss "heartbreaking"
The rookie quarterback played his heart out and had another solid day for New England, but is now just 2-6 in his eight starts.
"It was heartbreaking," Maye said of Sunday's defeat. "I think our guys fought hard, did a lot of good things. That's what Coach Mayo preaches in the locker room. We did a lot of good things on film. Proud of the way the guys fought. I'm proud of the defense. I thought they played their butts off. Especially our guys up front on offense. They did a great job. I think we ran the football for a bunch of yards. I think we were efficient in the passing game, and just came up short. It's a bummer. I hate it for these guys, and I hate it for these coaches. We're practicing hard. We're fighting hard, and just came up short."
Maye was 24-of-30 for 238 yards, a touchdown, and an interception off the finger tips of tight end Hunter Henry in the first half.
"That's just a play I got to make," said Henry, who led the way with seven catches for 75 yards. "That's on me."
The offense came up short in the red zone again on Sunday, going just 2-for-6 in their trips inside the Indy 20. Penalties once again hurt the New England offense as well, as linemen were flagged for four holds in the first half.
"Can't beat a team before you stop hurting yourself," said tight end Austin Hooper, who caught Maye's lone touchdown pass in the second quarter. "There were a number of those today. It wasn't from a lack of effort or busting your ass."
"I'm just tired of being on the short end of the stick," receiver Kendrick Bourne said in the locker room after his three-catch afternoon. "The potential is there, but we need to be better in the red zone as a group. ... We have to finish drives."
Jerod Mayo explains going for 68-yard field goal and not a Hail Mary
Kicker Joey Slye was 3-of-5 on his attempts on Sunday. One of his misses was a 25-yarder before halftime that he completely shanked. The other was a 68-yard attempt at the end of regulation that came up just short of giving New England a miraculous win.
That attempt was the longest attempt in the NFL since Matt Prater tried a 68-yarder for the Cardinals in 2021. Given Maye's giant arm, Mayo was asked why he considered going for an extra long field goal and not a Hail Mary at the end of the game.
"That was 100 percent me," Mayo said of the decision. "Look, Slye was hitting it well in pregame, and I felt that was the best thing to do to help our team win the football game. Not sure what the numbers are on Hail Marys versus the field goal there, but that's what I felt was right."
Maye probably would have liked a shot at the end zone in that situation, but he supported Mayo's decision after the game.
"I think it's up to the coaching. I'm here to support what Coach Mayo and the special teams guys and what Joey thinks," said the rookie.